Envirogadget.com - Gadgets For The Eco-Warrior!

Surfing around the World Wide Web for a pretty long time to find "Green" friends trying to save our Mother Earth. Found a good list of "Green" friends who focuses on products like Green Bags, Green Printers, Green beauty products, power boosters etc. but Daniel Harrison's blog Envirogadget.com was somewhat unique and different from other green friends. Ever thought of an electronic gadget to be environment friendly?

Envirogadget.com covers reviews of electronic gadgets and gizmos that are eco friendly and "Green". A unique place to surf around if you are a gizmo freak. At the same time, know about your product and how you are contributing to the safety of our planet. In this technology oriented era, people like Daniel are reminding us to be a little environment causious as well.

One of the reviews in the blog which made me rethink the phrase "Nothing is impossible" is the post USB Flash Memory made from Wooden Sticks. The making of these gadgets looks pretty cool and so is the price...£17.50 including delivery.

Have a "Green" gadget or gizmo that you want to be reviewed? Contact "The Eco-Warrior" Daniel Harrison.

I would request all my visitors to visit Daniel's blog and get yourself updated on the latest "Green" happenings in the electronics world. I have recommended this site to my colleagues.

Bio Green Systems Inc. - Respect & Love For Our Planet, Our People, Our Individual Greatness

"Going Green" is the new buzz word every where you go for shopping. But you may be confused to this new trend of lifestyle. What to buy and where to buy these "Green" products and also do they really serve the purpose of saving our environment.

Well... recently I found a site Bio Green Systems, where you can find all you confusions cleared and have your Green solution.

Bio Green Systems Inc. has made a detailed study of the environmental hazards faced by todays world and why one should opt for Green Products. Detailed study can be found here.
Bio Green Systems Inc. Green products cater to the every day needs of an individual, starting from "Total Health System", "Weight Loss" products, "Laundry System", "Home Care" products to products for "Women". Check out the various eco-friendly products here.


Till now, you may be using various body lotions, which may sooth your skin requiremnts, but you may nevwr know, the chemicals present in those lotions might harm your skin in the long-run. Bio Green Systems Inc. has come up with a new Green Product "Lavender and Grapefruit BodyButter", which is completely made from natural products. As a result, it is both friendly to your skin and the environment.

Another eco-friendly product launched is MPB (Mental Power Booster). Made from 100%eco-friendly products, this MPB help you get through your day with a clear mind and plenty of physical stamina. Targetted for every level of the society, this nutrient works to improve mental performance, concentration, circulation and endurance, while sustaining your energy level.


I would like to advice all my visitors to check out the unique "Green" products of Bio Green Systems Inc. and contribute to a more "Greener" Earth. Be sure to check out their Associate Application B.A.S.E. program if you want to earn extra!

EcoLuxury lodging : Easy on You and the Planet

Eco Luxury Living is the perfect place to find for "Green" Travel and Living. If you are looking for luxury and at the same care for your planet, while in a vacation, Eco Luxury Living caters for both.

For example their Sedona Vacation Rental. Its romance, luxuries and low impact living. Conveniently located in a highly sought-after area of Sedona, the Casita is nestled in a quiet Juniper glen. Private patio, spa tub, and spacious, sun drenched rooms. Plush, chem-free king-sized bed, high-speed Internet, full-size, energy efficient appliances in a gourmet kitchen.

Just 2 blocks to hiking trails, grocery stores, yoga studios, metaphysical shops, a labyrinth, spas, and more. See photos to beleive it!

Going Green 2day : Your First Day to a Greener Future

"Going Green" seems to be "all the rage" these days and Going Green 2day have realized the importance of using "Green Products" in our homes and while if you are traveling in your RV. They realized this is only one step of many, but it's a step that everyone can take.

Going Green 2day will first, make people think and second, that it will be of help you in finding "Earth Sensitive" "Environmentally Friendly" "Non-Toxic" "Green" products to use on a daily basis.

They have recently introduced a product Lavender and Grapefruit Hand and Body Butter which contains ultra refined Shea Butter which is naturally soothing, moisturizing and has protective effects on your skin. Light natural fragrance, smells good enough to eat.

Item #4000 (8 oz. jar)

$24.95 plus shipping

Going Green 2day's products are very concentrated, meaning more product with less packaging, also good for the environment. Because of being highly concentrated the products are extremely economical to use, which of course helps save you money, something everyone can appreciate.

Thomas C. Davis's Living the Green Way - Think Green, Live Green, Be Green and So Will Tomorrow

Thomas, a passionate writer and an artist owns a blog Living the Green Way. It is an ingenuous blog containing unrestrained opinion on the state of our environment and the events that affect it. In the blog, you will find news of this concern and stories worthy of notation. Living the Green Way is one voice in the din of pollution where reason resides and what needs to be said finds a venue.

His latest post in the blog is an open letter to our next President Barak Obama, which is a Petition on the Environment. His post invites everyone to sign his/her name by way of commenting.

A good "Green" step towards a more "Greener" Earth.

Thanks Thomas for your wonderful work!

Patrick's Pays to Live Green - Save Money by Going “Green”

One of key members of "Green" movement is Patrick with his Paystolivegreen.com. A software graduate, Patrick is the sole creator of Pays to Live Green. His interest towards environmental issues has made him create this blog and work towards a more "Greener" Earth. Pays to Live Green has always been finding new ways to help preserve our planet while still saving money.
Pays to Live Green focuses on interests like: finance and finding bargains, the environment, alternative sources of energy, organic and sustainable products, nutrition and technology. A major aspect of Pays to Live Green is to focus on different ways you can save money by going "green".
One of the major concerns with the new "green" movement is the expenses involved with it. Pays to Live Green wants to show you ways to save money, whether it be immediately or in the long-run, on products and services that can help preserve our planet. Going "green" does not mean that you have to completely alter your lifestyle or sacrifice things just to make a difference. As you might have found out, not everything is going to work for you. All Pays to Live Green asks is to bring an open mind.
If anyone wants any suggestions or solutions regarding "Green" issues, Please contact Patrick

More reasons to purge disposable plastic bags and try reusable bags

Whole Foods has announced it will stop using disposable plastic bags by Earth Day. This decision came on the heals of China banning production of these bags in an effort to curb litter for the 2008 Summer Olympics and to (allegedly) benefit the environment. Ikea made a switch away from disposable plastic bags in March of last year, and Costco has never used them.

The city of San Francisco also has banned the use of these bags, and, according to the Los Angeles Times, Bakersfield, Boston, and Phoenix are considering similar bans.

We’ve talked in the past about how plastic bags from grocery stores shouldn’t become clutter in your home in our post Reusable shopping bags . Now seems like an appropriate time to bring up the topic again since more stores and municipalities are requiring patrons to use their own bags.

We recommend bags that fold up into small totes so that you don’t create more clutter for yourself storing the reusable bags.

Reprinted with expressed written consent of Unclutterer.com.

Recycled Purseability Purse from Myrecycledbags.com

Nan, owner of Nannybird.blogspot.com, created this great purse design and which I finally was able to crochet using her pattern. The purse is crocheted using recycled plastic bags or plarn (http://www.myrecycledbags.com/tutorial-for-making-plarn-yarn/). In case you are new to the term plarn, here is the linkto my picture tutorial on how to create yarn from recycled plastic bags.

Here is Nannybird’s Recycled Purseability Purse Pattern. Nan offers her pattern free for personal use and is very helpful should you have any questions as your crochet this cute purse. While you are over visiting Nannybird’s Blog, I hope you’ll take a moment to checkout all of her recycled bags. She has made purses not only from plastic bags but also from candy wrappers. She has quite an assortment of purses that she has displayed on a cool slideshow at her blog.

Enjoy the remainder of your Labor Day weekend. And to everyone getting ready for back to school or off to college, take care and happy green crafting!

This Recycled Purseability Purse Article is a courtsey of Myrecycledbags.com

The Green Bag Store – A Review

The Green Bag Store has always been keen on providing a safe planet for all of us. They sell Green Bags from their E-Bay store and it's their simple step towards making our Earth more "Green".
Products
Set of 30 Green Bags

The Set of 30 contains 3 packages OF GREEN BAGS
Each package contains 10 bags has:
10- LARGE 1 ½ Gallon Bags Measuring 9" X 21" X 6"
10- MEDIUM 1 Gallon Bags Measuring 7" X 17" X 5"
10- SMALL ½ Gallon Bags Measuring 6" X 15" X 4"
The LARGE Evert Green Bag 10 Pack
The LARGE Bag contains:
10 Evert-Fresh Green Bags LARGE 1 ½ Gallon Bags
Measuring 9" X 21" X 6"

The MEDIUM Evert Green Bag 10 Pack
The MEDIUM Bag contains:
10 Evert-Fresh Green Bags MEDIUM 1 Gallon Bags
Measuring 7" X 17" X 5"
Price: $6.75

The 10 Green Bag ASSORTMENT
The Assortment contains 10 Evert-Fresh Green Bags
2 - LARGE 1 ½ Gallon Bags Measuring 9" X 21" X 6"
4 - MEDIUM 1 Gallon Bags Measuring 7" X 17" X 5"
4 - SMALL ½ Gallon Bags Measuring 6" X 15" X 4"
Price: $9.95


The 5 Green Bag Sampler
The Sampler contains 5 Evert-Fresh Green Bags
1 - LARGE 1 ½ Gallon Bag Measuring 9" X 21" X 6"
2 - MEDIUM 1 Gallon Bags Measuring 7" X 17" X 5"
2 - SMALL ½ Gallon Bags Measuring 6" X 15" X 4"
Price: $5.00
The Green Bag Store accepts PayPal, Cheques and Money Orders
To Go to their eBay Store Click Here

Amazon Life and Biodiversity Threatened by Oil and Gas Projects

The western Amazon, housing the most biodiverse and intact rainforest on Earth, may soon be eaten up with oil rings and pipelines.

A recent study in the August 13 edition of the open-access journal PLoS ONE reveals that over 180 oil and gas "blocks" — areas zoned for exploration and development — now cover the mega diverse western Amazon, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Brazil. These oil and gas blocks stretch over 688,000 km2 (170 million acres), a vast area, nearly the size of Texas.

Researchers from two US non-profit organizations- Save America's Forests and Land Is Life- and scientists from Duke University tracked hydrocarbon activities across the region and generated a comprehensive map of oil and gas activities across the western Amazon. The result is an alarming assessment of the threats to the biodiversity and indigenous peoples of the region.

Dr. Clinton Jenkins, co-author of the study, also conveyed that the oil and gas overlap projects will create a great alarm for the amphibians, who are already the most threatened group of vertebrates worldwide.

The study also revealed that oil and gas blocks are chiefly concentrated on the most intact part of the Amazon. Even national parks have not been exempted. Exploration and development blocks also cover Yasunì National Park in Ecuador and Madidi National Park in Bolivia.

15 Hot Green Celebs

Leonardo DiCaprio

Once "king of the world," this star often flies commercially and drives himself around in a hybrid Toyota Prius. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote environmental causes. More recently, he's been working on 11th Hour, an environmental documentary featuring interviews with global green leaders.


Cameron Diaz

This bombshell drives a hybrid car, got trained to give Al Gore's climate presentation, and helped make the big announcement about Live Earth.





Robert Redford

The Sundance Kid has campaigned for Utah wilderness, promoted solar energy, convinced mayors to tackle climate change, and served 30 years on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In April, he launched a weekly three-hour slot of eco-programming on his Sundance TV channel.


Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett and her playwright hubby have converted their own home to solar power. As co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, the duo also plans to green that venture and hope to power an entire theatre season off-grid.



George Clooney

This leading man not only earned an Oscar last year but also a prime spot on the cover of Vanity Fair's first green issue. In association with his award-winning role in Syriana, Clooney launched Oil Change, a campaign to say good night and good luck to America's dependence on oil. And to drive the point home, he's frequently seen out and about with his eco-friendly Tango electric car.

Ed Begley Jr.

We are head over heels for this electric-car-driving, solar-powered-home-owning star. He's got his own brand of eco-cleaners (Begley's Best), a reality show that puts a domestic spin on green issues (Living with Ed), and a morning routine that involves powering his toaster with a stationary bike.


Edward Norton

The eco-commitment of this Hollywood heavyweight is no illusion. Norton used his star power to help launch BP's Solar Neighbors Program, which gets solar panels onto low-income homes in L.A., and he hosted an award-winning, four-part National Geographic TV special about the unnerving effects of global environmental problems.


Daryl Hannah

Arrested last year for staging a 23-day tree-sit in a bid to save L.A.'s South Central Farm, an urban community garden, this steel magnolia is a longtime environmentalist who drives a biodiesel car and runs her green home on solar power. Hannah has also recently made a splash online with the eco-video blog dh love life.


Amitabh Bachchan

Concerned about his native India's vulnerability to climate change, this top Bollywood star helped launch a partnership between Global Cool and the International Indian Film Academy to use the power of cinema to build awareness of the issue.



Julia Louis-Dreyfus

She may be starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine, but being a devout environmentalist is nothing new for Louis-Dreyfus. Her solar-powered home is a showcase of green design and energy efficiency, and she's long been active with organizations like Heal the Bay, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Trust for Public Land.


Pierce Brosnan

The world is enough for this 007, who focuses his activism on the planet -- marine mammals and wetland protection in particular. Brosnan -- who was named "Best-Dressed Environmentalist" in 2004 and serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association -- has long fought for dolphin-safe tuna rules and protested the U.S. Navy's widespread use of sonar, which can harm whales and other cetaceans.

Rosario Dawson

Though she's soon to reprise her Sin City role, Dawson's environmental involvement leans more toward the virtuous. In 2005, she brought her star power to a U.N. summit on preserving the environment and ending poverty, and, more recently, she's dialed up her work with Global Cool's mobile texting campaign, which steers money to clean energy and energy-reduction projects.

Will Ferrell

He is an active supporter of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and, though it may sound stranger than fiction, he'll soon be driving his electric car into the driveway of an eco-friendly home.




Tom Hanks

An avid supporter and volunteer for The Nature Conservancy, this Forrest had the gumption to order the very first eBox electric car, delivered earlier this year. And Hanks often goes the extra green mile to make mention of his environmental leanings when he makes major TV appearances.


Brad Pitt

Twice named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine, Pitt isn't just a pretty face. A major architecture buff, he's been hot on the trail of the emerging green-building movement, helping with efforts to rebuild New Orleans in an eco-friendly way, narrating a sustainable design TV series, and supporting Ed Norton's Solar Neighbors Program.

The Alternative Consumer - Insightful Blog Promoting a Greener Lifestyle

The Alternative Consumer provides an upbeat perspective — eco news, green product reviews and useful info for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

There's a new, bright green blog on the web. The Alternative Consumer (www.alternativeconsumer.com) reflects the needs of the next wave of smart consumers ... chic, savvy shoppers who want to integrate more green into their lifestyle.

"Alternative consumers base their buying decisions on a set of criteria that goes well beyond just price and convenience," notes founder and publisher, Maureen O'Connor. "Before buying, they also consider a company's core values, and the impact their purchase has on both the environment and their health."

Whether it's eco-fashion and home decor, eco-travel, hybrid cars, organic health and beauty products, organic food and wine, sustainable design or recycling -- The Alternative Consumer delivers the hottest news, trends, products and services to today's style-conscious, earth-friendly consumer.

They encourage to "submit your find". They can reveiw your green products if you wish them to write a review in their blog.


To know about the contributors of The Alternative Consumer, please visit http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/about/ .

The Alternative Consumer -- essential reading for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener lifestyle.

Known Unknown Facts

• If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) of the world's poorest people use a day.
• Making a new can from scratch uses the uses the energy equal to half a can of gasoline.
• About one third of what an average American throws out is packaging.
• More than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) trees are used to make disposable diapers every year.
• In one minute, 50 acres of rainforest are destroyed.
• Some rain has a pH of 3 or 4. (which is pretty acidic, considering 7 is neutral, not acidic, and battery acid has a pH of 1). Some fish, such as lake trout and smallmouth bass, have trouble reproducing at a pH of 6, which is only slightly acidic. Some clams and snails can't survive at all. Most crayfish are dead at a pH of 5. You can see how bad this is for the environment.

• On average, a person in the US uses energy two times more than a person in Japan or West Germany does, and 50 times more than a person in India.
• About 90% of the energy used in lighting a standard (incandescent) light bulb is lost as heat.
• Air conditioning uses 10 times more energy than a fan; therefore, it creates 10 times the pollutants.
• It takes half the output of the Alaskan pipeline to heat the air that escapes from all the homes in the US during a year.
• Cars and pick-up trucks are responsible for about 20% of the carbon dioxide released into the air.

• There are about 500 million automobiles on the planet, burning an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day. Each gallon releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
• About 80% of our trash goes to landfills, 10% is incinerated, and 10% is recycled.
• Since there is little oxygen underground, where we bury our garbage, to help bacteria eat the garbage, almost nothing happens to it. Scientists have dug into landfills and found ears of corn still intact after 20 years, and newspapers still readable after 30.
• The average American makes about 3.5 pounds of trash a day.
• In a year, the average American uses as much wood in the form of paper as the average resident of the developing world burns as fuel.

Every Shade of Green - A Forum of Eco-ideas in Lake Country By Courtney And Kristin

Environmental issues has always been important to Courtney and Kristin Saden and yet they often felt alone in their efforts to continue to find ways to live more "green". They felt that a blog would be a great way to network with others in their area to share what they have discovered and learnt from others who may be on the same "green" journey. Courtney and Kristin especially wanted to make the focus of their blog local since there were already many great environmental blogs and websites. They wanted to provide a site where long time greenies could converse with the growing population of people who are just starting to look at ways to change their energy usage or environmental impact. They started their blog in February and little by little have tried to get the word out. Kristin and Courtney are looking at ways to advertise locally or link with other like-minded folks.

They did host a Local Foods Fair in conjunction with their church this spring. They had local farmers and growers and other organizations (such as Slow Foods USA) staff booths and gave presentations about the benefits of eating locally. It was well attended and many families signed up for CSA subscriptions. They also had made arrangements children's tables where kids were able to taste foods produced in Wisconsin and learn about how they grow. More info is on our blog if you are interested.

James Arthur Ray - Your Guide To Harmonic Wealth

James Arthur Ray (The Rock Star of Personal Transformation) - synonym to Harmonic Wealth, teaches how to attain a comprehensive state of fulfillment, joy and prosperity through Harmony. He says to create Harmonic wealth in all areas of life - financially, relationally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Only harmony yields happiness and real wealth.

Mr. Ray is the CEO of James Ray International, a multi-million dollar corporation dedicated to teaching individuals to create wealth in all areas of their lives.

A real successful man in his industry has received many awards and respect from various fields of business. James Ray International was recently featured in the San Diego Business Journal as one of the most-successful and fastest-growing local businesses and has also recently been selected by Toastmasters International as the recipient of their prestigious "Communication and Leadership Award" for his demonstration of proficiency as an outstanding communicator and community leader.

Do you have a dream or goal that you've longed to achieve but haven't yet? James Arthur Ray will guide how to easily increase your wealth in all the areas of your life - Financial, Relational, Intellectual, Physical and Spiritual. When you've achieved this result, you are really wealthy—you possess true Harmonic Wealth®. For more Live Events and Event Dates of J.A.Ray please visit http://jamesray.com/events/ and http://jamesray.com/events/event-dates.php .

He is the author of many books of Harmonic Wealth like:

The Science of Success Learning System

Harmonic Wealth Home Study Course

Success Certain Coaching

Million Dollar Mindset

The Practical Package

For pricing and buying please visit http://jamesray.com/products/.

In addition to Harmonic Wealth, Mr. Ray is also into eco-friendly services. Many social service information of his company could be found here http://green.jamesray.com/ .

Review Of sackaroos - Conserving The Environment Just Got Friendlier!

Companies have now started taking initiative to save our Mother Earth. This social cause have made number of companies, which are making reusable shopping bags and encouraging us against the use of plastic bags. SACKAROOS is one such company, who have started manufacturing reusable shopping bags.

Review of SACKAROOS

Sackaroos was founded by Paula Casey and Sue Burnett with an eco-friendly vision in mind. Sackaroos's main aim is to reduce the use of plastic bags with reusable bags reducing the impact on landfills and wildlife, while making the world a cleaner and safer place for all living creatures. The complete vision can be found here: http://www.sackaroosreusablebags.com/about .

There are many eco-friendly products lined up in Sackaroos.

Sackaroos Pouch System

It is being specially designed to hold Sackroos's reusable shopping bags. It features an adjustable strap and convenient front pocket for keys, pocketbook, cell phone, etc. Price starts from $39.95.

Sackaroos Joey System

Its a new system from Sackaroos. It includes a smaller pouch and 2 of our reusable shopping bags. (The pouch is designed to carry up to four!) Made from strong canvas, this pouch is right for quick shopping trips.

Sackaroos Reusable Shopping Bags

It holds 25 pounds of groceries and it is made from polyester. These bags are designed to fit into any Sackaroos Pouch System and the convenient see-through design makes loading/unloading quick and easy.

Sackaroos Vegetable Bag

This a new product of Sackaroos. This is made from strong, utility polyester mesh, the see-through design allows for convenient loading and unloading.

A complete "plastic free" experience at Sackaroos.

Review of SIERRA CLUB – Protect The Planet

Globally there are many organizations fighting against the odds to make our Mother Earth more "Green". Sierra Club founded in 1892 is one of the leading clubs in USA, committed to "Protect the Planet".

Review of Sierra Club:

The two main persons who were the pioneers in Sierra Club foundation were John Muir and Ansel Adams. Other notable persons involved in the rich history of Sierra Club can be found here: http://www.sierraclub.org/history/key_figures/ .

Today, they offer a large number of services, which not only protect our planet, but also you can enjoy and explore the World in your own way.

• Sierra Club Outings: They encourage getting outdoors even with $600. A total family holiday trip with such low budget can really help you in getting closer to Mother Earth. Browse http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/ for more details and to understand their holiday packages. Sierra Club Outings was awarded the 2008 Best Travel Companies on Earth by the editors of National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine.



• Sierra Club Books: They have a large collection of books on Nature and Environment, which supports the green movement. Visit http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=bookshome to get to know more about books on Adventure and Travel.



• Sierra Club Magazine: Features economic and environmental problems all over the world. Grab your copy here: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ .



• Sierra Club Store: An online store of the club, which helps them to run their environment friendly programs and activities. One can find:
  
  
  
  • Men’s & Women’s Apparel
  
  
  • Bags & Packs
  
  
  • Organic Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
  
  
  • Wildlife Puppets
  
  
  • Posters
  
  
  • Sierra Club Mutual Funds

A perfect place for persons who loves adventure, wildlife and LOVES OUR EARTH.

Review Of Shoppingbags.com - The Green E-Bag

There are many companies fighting the dangerous plastics and its siblings. Modern Arts or shoppingbags.com is one such company that is offering green solution to various packaging needs.

Review of Modern Arts - shoppingbags.com

As the domain name says, Modern arts is mainly into shopping bags business but they offer wide variety of green environmental packaging solutions, including many custom blends of 100% post consumer recycled papers. They are in this business for last 40 years.

Various product lines for Modern Arts:

• Modern Arts Packaging


• Custom Bags


• Custom Boxes


• Custom Accessories


• Environmental Packaging


• E-Bags


• PET Shopping Bags


• Reusable Shopping Bags

They have various unique and innovative products in their product line like:

• Patented ebags:


They are also the proud owners of the patented e bags. “E” bags are supposedly the best designed reusable bag in the world because of various characters offered by “E” bag. Browse http://www.shoppingbags.com/ebag.html for more details and to understand the history of "E" bags.


• Latest innovation – The PET Shopping bag:
  

This is made from 100% post consumer material (water and soda bottles). According to a stat, In 2007, 4 billion gallons of water were marketed in individual 12 oz plastic bottles. These bottles, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET for short, are made from natural gas and petroleum. In use since 1990, only 23% of PET bottles are recycled, and the rest end up in landfills. Modern Arts is now using these PET bottles and various other post consumer materials to prepare various reusable bags. This is a very healthy move. For more information http://www.shoppingbags.com/information5.html.

Other business details:

• Custom Printed Packaging: 6-8 weeks delivery.


• Unprinted Stock Packaging: Immediate delivery.


• Custom quote delivered to your inbox.


• Graphic Design firms that bring three orders or $25,000 per year in sales will qualify for a special discount or savings reward of up to 10 percent.

One shocking fact – Why plastic bags in between

I see that they are also offering plastic bags http://shoppingbags.com/dtbaq/categorymenubaq.php?cid=171 (It is not clear as if these plastics have any advantage over the existing plastic bags). This may one non-environment friendly product. Also this is the first product under the bags section. This came to me as a shock.

Solid Waste Department And BVICCHA To Promote Reusbale Shopping Bags

The Solid Waste Department has partnered with the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) to promote the use of reusable shopping bags in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic bags in the local waste stream.

Under the slogan “Let’s Go Green Together. It’s as simple as ABC”, the Department has launched new radio and television public service announcements designed to familiarise the public with the practice of utilising reusable shopping bags. Waste Education Officer, Nadia James-Lord explained that the objective of the campaign is to encourage and consistently remind shoppers to practice bringing their own reusable bags when shopping. She further explained that the ABC concept means that shoppers should always keep their reusable bags handy, bring them when they go shopping and when checking out, inform cashiers that the reusable bags should be used.

The BVICCHA has agreed to provide durable shopping bags to the public at a significantly reduced cost and hopes to have the bags available by mid-August. Executive Director of the BVICCHA Mrs. Carol Kaufman affirmed that the association is dedicated to promoting the use of “green” practises and assured the public that the bags will be quite strong and multi-functional.

A number of private sector companies including Bolo’s Department Store, One Mart Superstore and Clarence Thomas Limited have expressed their support for the campaign. Director of Clarence Thomas Limited Mr. David Thomas indicated that his company will soon be introducing a line of reusable bags for distribution to their customers.

Manager of the Solid Waste Department Mr. Anslem Myers stated that he was pleased with the number of private/public sector partnerships supporting the “green” campaign and hopes that the public would actively participate in the programme.

News Courtsey: Bviplatinum.com/news.php

Green Bags: It Will Help You Financially and Environmentaly

MANY Greater Dandenong shoppers are clinging to plastic bags despite nationwide campaigns to banish the ecological menace.

A Leader investigation outside a Dandenong supermarket last Tuesday found only one out of 22 shoppers used recyclable green bags.


Many of them declined to comment. But the figures could be reversed if shoppers are forced to pay for their plastic bags.

The State Government this month began a trial 10c charge for bags at Warrnambool, Wangaratta and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre.

The Leader polled customers outside Parkmore Coles for their views.

Keysborough woman Diane Bellette said she had used green bags since they were introduced.

"I was over at Phillip Island once at the Penguin Parade and saw one of the penguins entangled in a plastic bag, so I saw first-hand the effect they have," she said. "That was a real turning point for me."


She said she hoped charging for plastic bags would encourage more people to use canvas ones.

Josephine Rudak, from Springvale, said her reasons were both financial and environmental.

"Why pay 10c when you can bring your own bag? I am not working and my husband is not working, so every cent counts," Mrs Rudak said.

Dingley mum Louise Knorr said she used canvas bags whenever possible. "A 10c charge would probably just make me remember my bags more often," she said.

By Rebecca David

California Cities Drawing ´Line in the Sand´ in Plastic Bag War

It seems California coastal communities have drawn a line in the sand in the battle against plastic bags. A number of seaside towns have banned them or are in some process of doing so.

San Francisco, the ´city by the Bay´ in Tony Bennett´s song, may have initiated the fight, spearheaded the frontal attack. In March, 2007, that city's Board of Supervisors approved legislation to ban plastic bags in large scale super markets and pharmacy chain stores. They were the first city in the United States to do so and achieved notoriety here and abroad for their audacity. These stores, now that the legislation has taken effect, now must use compostable bags made of recyclable paper or corn starch. It is estimated that this action has reduced plastic bag use by 5 million per month in the first year.

Other seaside cities soon joined the crusade. Some have succeeded in the ban while others have had to rethink their proposals. The small town of Fairfax, California, in the Bay Area, found that out when they decided to ban plastic bags in local stores. According to an article in E Magazine in their July/August ´08 issue, "Plastic Industry Strikes Back", the plastic bag makers threatened to sue whereupon the town retreated from immediately initiating the program. Other cities such as Oakland, Annapolis, and Philadelphia followed suit, intimidated by the threat, according to E Magazine´s rendition.

The cities of Malibu and Manhattan Beach in the Southern California area have also enacted ordinances banning plastic bags. In Malibu, the city council unanimously adopted their ordinance in May, 2008, and it will apply to all retailers, large and small. Large sellers will have six months to comply and smaller ones a year. Violations will be an expensive option with fines of up to $1000.00, Ouch!

Manhattan Beach is having a bit of difficulty with their ordinance passed just this month, July. Apparently the plastic bag makers are not retreating quietly into the night. A group of about eight plastics retailers and manufacturers are threatening to sue as they have done earlier in such instances. The city council members are undaunted and plan to fight the lawsuit confident they will win in the end.

The basis for the legal stance by the plastics manufacturers is that substituting paper is far more environmentally harmful than plastic bags. In that they are probably somewhat correct. Research shows that making paper bags as substitutes for plastic is even more wasteful of energy resources and emits more greenhouse gases making that choice one of prime consideration. However, are the manufacturers considering the overall polluting aspects of plastic in their arguments? No, apparently not – just the manufacturing aspects. And, to argue that plastic is somewhat less environmentally costly than paper is rather a disingenuous approach to the problem wouldn´t you say?

They must find a better way. American industry is always behind the power curve on such matters until forced to confront the problems they have caused. I am confident that with their ingenuity and innovativeness – if only predicated on the profit motive – they will do so.

In San Diego County, several cities are in some stage of enacting their own bans. Encinitas, a beachfront community and environmental activist haunt, has now begun their look-see at such a ban spurred on by a petition signed by 1500 people filed with the city council by the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. The Surfriders deliberately chose Encinitas because of expectations that with a core group of hardcore environmentalists residing there as well the upscale yuppie nature of its 63,000 inhabitants enough excitement and popular support will develop to throw the council behind the ban. So far two councilwomen have openly sided with the effort. It is not an automatic with three votes needed to pass. Although not supporting it as of yet, one councilman says it is probably inevitable for such ordinances to pass along the coastal areas of California at least.

Solana Beach, a so-called 'progressive' city - first in the nation to ban smoking on its beaches - enacted a law in December, 2007, prohibiting plastic bags with advertising to be used on doors and other places where they could cause littering problems. They must now, with their adjoining city on the way to passing their regulation, be considering enlisting in the plastic wars.

Plastic bags are definitely a problem which must be addressed. The average American is using over 600 plastic bags annually, and only 5% or less are ever recycled. The rest go to our landfills, - or worse, are discarded as litter along our highways and byways, on our beaches, in our streams, waterways, and oceans. Plastic at sea kills!

There are alternatives to plastic bags popping up everywhere on the net. One successful attempt has been simply making a bag labeled "I am not a plastic bag!" which has become the rage with shoppers in New York. (How come I am not surprised at those New Yorkers?) I recently interviewed Mr. Frank Tinelli, aka ´Go Green Bag Man´, and wrote an enlightening article on his own battle with plastic bags. Frank has recently begun making a reusable canvas tote shopping bag with goals in mind to make a difference in the war. He formed a business, Go Green Aid Company, specializing in custom made, high quality shopping bags which appears to be doing well and is a supplier of ammo in the plastic wars. Wish him well. It´s a start in his eyes; he considers himself a frontline soldier. His motto is ´Go Green is More Than a Slogan; It´s a Lifestyle!´

Plastic is a big problem – bigger than we may even expect or of which we are aware. We must now address this problem seriously. It isn´t a simple one nor will it take extreme sacrifice to resolve. But we must begin now. California has drawn the line in its coastal sand and is leading the charge!

Content & Source Courtsey: Dennis Copson & http://www.americanchronicle.com

Carrefour Launches "Green" Bag Drive With Egypt’s Ministry of Environment

Carrefour, together with Egypt’s Ministry of Environment will launch the “Small

Change Big Difference” ecological initiative in its hypermarkets across the
country.
The hypermarket chain is operated by Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets, a company of Majid Al Futtaim Group.
Underlining its commitment to be an environment-friendly organisation, Carrefour
is promoting the use of the environment-friendly reusable bags as a substitute to plastic bags.
Now, shoppers shopping in Carrefour’s outlets in the Alexandria City Centre, Maadi City Centre and Dandy Mall will be encouraged to use environment friendly reusable bags as a substitute of plastic bags.

In the first phase of the campaign, Carrefour will introduce 50,000 bags that have been produced in Egypt.
Carrefour customers can avail these eco friendly bags at the entry points of these hypermarkets for a LE5 ($.938). Furthermore, if damaged at any point the bags will be replaced free of charge at any Carrefour outlet.

Single-use plastic bags made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) take over 1,000 years to decompose and endanger marine life. According to The Wall Street Journal, US consumers use over 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually.

Source: Freshplaza.com
Good example, encouraging the use of "Green" Bags.

Green Bags: Nations Reactions

Global warming is urgent reality; it is the greatest threat hanging over the future of mankind. Global warming is increasing the earth's temperature, which is caused by the use of fossil fuels, and industrial or agricultural processes.

Man-made emissions are adding to the amount of carbon dioxide already being naturally released. These harmful processes have been leading to a large increase in the buildup of "greenhouse gases," which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor.

Lets try to overcome this by doing something "GREEN".

One way of achieving more "green" is to reduce the use of plastic bags and go for green bags. Heres a list of examples of how other countries are handling the "green" bags environmental issue.

Australia

Australian shoppers are now encouraged to buy "green bags" which cost only about a dollar.

Australians used 4.84 billion plastic bags in 2007.

Bangladesh

Plastic shopping bags are banned in Bangladesh, which clogg their drains during monsoons.

Bhutan

Plastic shopping bags, along with tobacco have been banned in Bhutan.

China

On June 1, throughout the entire country of China, all supermarkets, department stores and shops have been prohibited from giving out free plastic bags.

France

Growing awareness of the ecological impact of plastic bags has led main retailers to force customers to buy reusable plastic or non-woven bags. In Paris, a ban on plastic bags took effect in late 2007.

Germany

Generally, most German supermarkets charge between five and 25 cents per single-use bag, depending on the type of bag. Most shops also offer cloth bags or sturdier, woven plastic bags for about $1. Many high-end retail shops will provide bags free of charge.

Ireland

On March 4, 2002, the Republic of Ireland introduced a 15-cent levy on every plastic shopping bag. This led to a 90- per-cent reduction in use of plastic bags and increased use of reusable bags.

Israel

The country of Israel has enacted legislation to add a surcharge for every plastic bag. Bags that contain fish, meat, poultry or fresh produce won't incur any charge. Aside from that, every plastic bag given to a customer will incur a charge of 1 NIS (Cdn. $0.311222845) which will be shown as a separate item on the receipt.



New Zealand

In recent years, cloth bags have been promoted and sold by some supermarkets as an alternative to plastic bags. In August 2006, the Collingwood community in Golden Bay declared itself shopping bag free by a group of local residents who promoted the idea.

South Africa

Mohammed Valli Moosa, the Environment and Tourism Minister of South Africa, jokingly named plastic bags the national flower and worked to introduce a minimum legal thickness of 30 micrometres to increase their cost, reusability, and recyclability.


United Kingdom


Growing awareness in the U. K. of the problems caused by indiscriminate use of plastic bags is encouraging some large retailers to reward customers who bring their own bags or recycle existing bags.

Retailers in Modbury have voluntarily eliminated usage of plastic bags, the first town in the country to do so. More towns are following suit.

In 2007, IKEA became the country's first national retailer to abandon single use plastic bags altogether, instead offering their own range of bags for life which now come in two sizes: The blue bag and a brand new baby blue bag

On 24 July, 2007, Green- England. co.ukbegan a petition for a 10p tax to be introduced on disposable plastic bags, with the money to go to environmental projects.

United States

Plastic bags largely displaced paper bags as the most common type of shopping bag during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

There has been no broad government action against the litter problem. Proper household waste management (reuse when possible and not littering) is considered a personal responsibility or a locally enforced misdemeanor.

On March 27, 2007, the City and County of San Francisco became the first city to ban common plastic shopping bags, followed shortly by nearby Oakland.

Zanzibar

The island of Zanzibar banned the import and use of plastic shopping bags in November 2006.

People who litter with used bags are responsible for a significant problem, and government officials enacted the ban to protect tourism, an economic mainstay for the island.

Content Courtsey: http://www.timminspress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1098580